Device for splicing strands of thermoplastic material



Nov. 11,1952 6. B. KELLER ETAL DEVICE FOR SPLICING STRANDS OFTHERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL Filed April 27, 1951 INVENTORS 3. //a4 MA'S zmua8.142445? WZm Qmm v flan/2214027,

Patented Nov. 11,1952

DEVICE FOR- SPLICING STRANDS OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL Gerald B. Kellerand Loua D. Holmes,

Syracuse, N. Y.

Application April 27, 1951, Serial No. 223,379

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to devices for splicing strands and moreparticularly to a device in the form of an attachment for a pyrographictool for heat splicing strands of thermoplastic material.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved devicefor heat splicing strands of thermoplastic material which device isprovided as an attachment for a pyrographic tool and may be easilyassembled with a tool and disassembled therefrom with no modification ofthe tool construction; which includes a manually operated clamp or visefor securely holding ends of strands together while the same are fusedtogether by heat generated by the pyrographic tool; which provides forthe easy placement of the strand ends in the vise and removal of thespliced strand therefrom; and which is simple and durable inconstruction, economical to manufacture and easy to use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following description and the appended claims in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a splicing device illustrative ofthe invention, a portion being broken away and shown in cross section toillustrate the manner in which ends of strands of thermoplastic materialare spliced together by the device;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view on the line 22 of Figure1 and showing the splicing device mounted on a pyrographic tool of knownconstruction;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 33 of Figure2;

Figure 4 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line l-fl of Figure2; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a pair of relatively movable jawelements of the splicing device.

With continued reference to the drawing, the splicing device comprises abody IQ of elongated, cylindrical shape having a bore ll extendingcoaxially therethrough, an opening l2 of rectangular cross sectionalshape extending transversely thereof intermediate its length andsubstantially symmetrically of the longitudinal center line of the bodyand a notch l3 extending around approximately one-half of thecylindrical surface of the body and from the body surface to the opening[2, this notch constituting, in effect, a reduced portion of theopening.

At one end of the body the bore H is provided with a screw threadedcounterbore M which re- .ceives the screw threaded heating elementhousing is projecting from one end of the handle it of a pyrographictool. The tool handle carries a collar or sleeve ll of heat insulativematerial at its end from which the heating element housing [5 projectsand an abutment washer 18, also of heat insulative material, surroundsthe heat element housing at the adjacent end of the handle it. Anextension cord l9 extends through the hollow handle [6 to the heatingelement in the heating element housing [5 and a plane portion 223 of.the heating element housing extends from the outer end of the screwthreaded portion of this housing through the corresponding portion ofthe bore 1 I to the adjacent end of the opening I2.

The externally screw threaded heating element housing is of thepyrographic tool constitutes a threaded shank upon which theinterchangeable points of the tool are selectively mounted and, when itis desired to mount the splicing device of the present invention on thepyrographic tool, the tool shank is simply threaded into thecorresponding end of the body it, the splicing device taking the placeof a working point usually threaded onto the shank of the tool.

A fixed jaw 2! of rectangular cross sectional shape and having arcuatelyrounded ends conforming to the cylindrical surface of the body ii? ismounted in the opening l2 at the end of the opening adjacent the screwthreaded portion of the bore ii and this jaw is provided in its side atthe corresponding end of the opening with a circular recess 22 whichreceives the distal end portion of the tool shank 15 to provide a goodheat conductive contact between the fixed jaw and the corresponding endof the tool shank carrying the heating element of the tool.

A movable jaw 23, also of rectangular cross sectional shape, is receivedin the opening I2 at the other end of the opening for movement towardand away from the fixed jaw 2i. The movable jaw 23 has its endsarcuately rounded to conform to the cylindrical surface of the body l0and has at the mid-length location of its side remote from the fixed jaw21 a tapped well or recess 24. The jaws 2i and 23 are provided in theiradjacent or opposed faces with longitudinally extending grooves, asindicated at 25 and 26 respectively, which grooves register with eachother when the jaws are brought together and provide a bore extendinglongitudinally of the abutting faces of the jaws and of a size and shapeto closely receive the strands to be spliced.

grooves 25 and 28.

The fixed jaw 21 has a thickness less than the thickness of the movablejaw 23 and somewhat less than the distance from the corresponding end ofthe opening I2 to the adjacent end of the notch l3 to facilitate heatingof the fixed jaw and to permit the movable jaw to slide under theformation at the end of the notch adjacent the fixed jaw to positivelyalign-the grooves "25 and 26 when the'jaws are closed.

The jaws may be provided in interchangeable sets so that bores ofdifferent shapes and sizes can be provided for strands of difierentsizes and shapes. As a major purpose of the device is splicing strandsof gimp, a lacing material made of thermoplastic resin, at least oneset'of laws would be provided having grooves which, when the jaws arebrought together, provide an aperture, as indicated at 2'! in Figure 2having a cross sectionalshape substantially the same as the crosssectional shape of the gimp to be spliced.

v-Attheend of the opening I2 remote from the .tool shank 1-5 the bore ll is provided with a portion-28 of reduced diameter and a screw 29extends-through this portion of the bore and has .adiametersubstantially the same as the diameter of'the body H! isthreaded onto the boss 3%. This nut has at one end an end wall 33provided with a centrally located tapped hole 35 which receives thescrew 29 and is threadedly engaged therewith.

The threads on the boss 31 and the correspondl ing internal threads inthe nut 32 are right hand threads while the threads on the screw 29 andthe corresponding threads in the tapped hole 35 are left hand threads sothat when the nut is turned on the boss 31 in a direction to threadthe'boss inwardly oi the nut the screw 29 is threaded through the nutinwardly of the body Hi jaw 2!. 'When the nut is rotated in the oppositedirection the screw 29 is moved outwardly of :thebody it moving themovable away from the fixed jaw.

The nut 32 is provided with a beveled outer .edge. 35 and with anannular knurled or rough- .ened band 36 to afi'ord a good hand grip onthe nut for. rotating the nut relative to the body it and the body isprovided with a knurled or roughenedannular band 37 to provide a goodhand grip for holding the body while the nut is rotated relativethereto.

In using the device, after a heating element such as the heating elementof the pyrographic tool It has been secured in the screw threaded end ofthe bore il, with the movable jaw separated from the fixed jaw the endsof two strands to be spliced, as indicated at 38 and 39 in Figure 1, areplaced between the jaws and in the A nut 32 is then rotated on the bodyit to force the movable jaw against the fixed jaw and firmly compressthe strand ends together in the aper ure 2?. l-Ieat'irom the heatingelement is now applied to the fixed jaw 2| until the compressed ends ofthe strands are completely fused together whereupon the nut may berotated to move the movable jaw away and forces the movable jaw 23against the fixed essential characteristics thereof.

4 from the fixed jaw and the spliced strand moved from between the jawsthrough the notch l3.

While the splicing device has been illustrated and described as anattachment for a pyrographic tool, it is to be understood that asuitable heating element may be permanently secured in the body of thedevice, if desired, and provided with its own extension cord,preferably; including a switch for controlling thesupplyofheatingcurrent to the heating element.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or The present embodiment is, therefore, to beconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the

scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims ratherthan by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within themeaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intendedto be embraced therein.

"What is claimed is:

l. in combination with a 'pyrcgraphic tool having a handle and anexternally screw threaded heating-element housing projecting from oneend of the handle, a device for splicing strands. of thermoplasticmaterial comprising an elongated body having a bore'extendingtherethrough and provided at one end of said body with internal screwthreads, saidbody being threaded, at said one endonto-said heatingelement housing and having intermediate its length a transverselyextending opening intercepting said borexand including a portion ofreduced sizeextending to the surface'of'said body, a fixed jaw, receivedin said opening at the end of the latter adjacent said-heating elementhousing and disposed in heat transferring engagement with the adjacentend of said housing, a movable jaw slidably disposed in said housing inopposition to said fixed jaw, a screw extending into said bore at theend of said body remote from said housing and secured at its endadjacentsaid movable jaw to the latter, and a nut rotatably mountedonsaid bodyat the end of the latter remote from said housing and :havinga tapped hole therein through which said screw is threaded for movingsaid movable jaw toward and away from. said fixed jaw upon rotation ofsaid nut relative to said body.

2. In combination with a pyrographic tool having a handle and-anexternally screw threaded heating element housing projecting from oneendof the handle, a device for splicing strands of thermoplastic materialcomprising an elongated body having a bore extending therethrough andprovided at one end: of said body with internal screw threads, saidbodybeing threaded at said one end onto said heating element housing andhaving intermediate its length a transversely extending openingintercepting said bore and including a portion of reduced size extendingto the surface of said body, a fixed jaw received in said opening at theend of the latter adjacentsaid heating element housing anddisposed inheat transferring engagement with the adjacent ,end of said housing, amovable jaw slidably disposed in the opening in said housing inopposition to said fixed jaw, a screw extending into said bore at the,end of said body remote from said housing and secured at its endadjacent said movable jaw threaded onto saidextension and havingiatapped hole therein through which said screw is threaded for moving saidmovable jaw toward and away from said fixed jaw upon rotation of saidnut relative to said body.

3. In combination with a pyrographic tool having a handle and anexternally screw threaded heating element housing projecting from oneend of the handle, a device for splicing strands of thermoplasticmaterial comprising an elongated body having a bore extendingtherethrough and provided at one end of said body with internal screwthreads, said body being threaded at said one end onto said heatingelement housing and having intermediate its length a transverselyextending opening of rectangular cross sectional shape intercepting saidbore and including a portion of reduced size extending to the surface ofsaid body, a fixed jaw received in said opening at the end of the latteradjacent said heating element housing and disposed in heat transferringengagement with the adjacent end of said housing, a movable jaw disposedin said opening in opposition to said fixed jaw, a screw extending intosaid bore at the end of said body remote from said housing and securedat its end adjacent said movable jaw to the latter, and a nut rotatablymounted on said body at the end of the latter remote from said heatingelement housing and having a tapped hole therein through which saidscrew is threaded for moving said movable jaw toward and away from saidfixed jaw upon rotation of said nut relative to said body, said jawshaving longitudinally extending grooves in their opposed faces whichgrooves register to provide a strand receiving aperture extendinglongitudinally of said jaws when the jaws are closed together.

i. In combination with a pyrographic tool having a handle and anexternally screw threaded heating element housing projecting from oneend of the handle, a device for splicing strands of thermoplasticmaterial comprising an elongated body having a bore extendingtherethrough and provided at one end of said body with internal screwthreads, said body being threaded at said one end onto said heatingelement housing and having intermediate its length a transverselyextending opening intercepting said bore and including a portion ofreduced size extending to the surface of said body, a fixed jaw receivedin said opening at the end of the latter adjacent said heating elementhousing and disposed in heat transferring engagement with the adjacentend of said housing, a movable jaw slidably disposed in the opening insaid housing in opposition to said fixed jaw, a screw extending intosaid bore at the end of said body remote from said housing and securedat its end adjacent said movable j aw to the latter, said body having atits end remote from said housing an externally screw threaded extensionof reduced diameter, and a nut threaded onto said extension and having atapped hole therein through which said screw is threaded for moving saidmovable jaw toward and away from said fixed jaw upon rotation of saidnut relative to said body, said body being of elongated cylindricalshape with said bore extending substantially coaxially therethrough andsaid nut being of cylindrical shape of substantially the same outsidediameter as the outside diameter of said body.

GERALD B. KELLER. LOUA D. HOLMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 475,115 Inglesby et a1 May 1'7,1892 1,850,338 Abegg Mar. 22, 1932 1,955,351 Tenant Apr. 17, 19342,453,761 Schoonmaker Nov. 16, 1948 2,551,636 Ratigan May 8, 1951FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 172,767 Great Britain 1921

